Gun violence in Hampton Roads: Data shows crime correlates with rise in gun ownership, leaders stress safe storage and handling As gun sales have increased in Virginia, so have gun-related deaths. Police chiefs are concerned with how people illegally get guns, so tracking them becomes crucial Author: Evan Watson Updated: 7:25 PM EDT July 15, 2021 CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A violent summer in Hampton Roads is no surprise to police chiefs like Chesapeake’s Kelvin Wright, who says summer gun violence is a phenomenon all departments are aware of. A deeper look at gun and crime data puts the summer crime into context. "These are the months we know it takes place, but we don’t necessarily know why it takes place," said Chief Wright. "That is extremely frustrating and as officers, we have a difficult time making sense of it."